How Do Magicians Invent a New Trick
When a magician is constructing a magic performance routine, what can he do besides searching magic books, shops and videos? The ultimate method of adding the desired effect is to decide what to use and to invent a method of accomplishing it. This, of course, occurs seldom. It is a tiresome, tedious, arduous mental process. And most magicians do not care for mental processes, even those of minor difficulty.
This type of invention is largely hit or miss. It relies to a great extent upon luck and inspiration. But if this inventor had ever tried marshaling all of the possible methods, his difficulties would have been simplified considerably. Really, there are not many basic ways of accomplishing a magical appearance.